Lagatar24 Desk
Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the first phase of Kerala’s Vizhinjam International Deep Sea Port, hailing it as a transformative boost to India’s maritime capabilities. Built at a cost of ₹8,867 crore by the Adani Group, the port aims to reduce India’s dependency on foreign ports for cargo transshipment.
Strategic impact on trade and economy
Modi highlighted that nearly 75% of India’s transshipment currently occurs at foreign ports, resulting in capital outflow. “Now, the funds used for this will stay in India,” he said, underlining Vizhinjam’s potential to shift global logistics dynamics in India’s favour.
A lighter moment with Adani’s Gujarat link
During his speech, the Prime Minister made a light-hearted comment about Gautam Adani’s roots. “When people in Gujarat hear Adani built such a port in Kerala, they’ll be angry,” Modi joked, drawing laughter. “He’s worked on ports in Gujarat for 30 years but never built one like this,” he added, signaling the project’s high standards.
Grand event sees major attendance
Modi arrived at the port by helicopter, toured the facilities wearing a hard hat, and addressed the gathering in Malayalam, saying he was “happy to be in the land of Sree Ananthapadmanabhan.” The event was attended by Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
